Enabling transformation for a cleaner 21st century industrial sector
- Anna Reid
- May 7
- 4 min read
Updated: May 12
When Aspiring Materials co-founder Chris Oze first observed the way olivine-rich ultramafic rock mineralised carbon dioxide naturally, he couldn’t yet see that his research would lead to the potential for large-scale transformation of the industrial sector.
Nearly thirty years on, Aspiring Materials has opened the first-of-a-kind olivine mineral processing pilot plant in Christchurch, New Zealand. That initial exploration into olivine led to the development of a process that unlocks a bigger potential for industries beyond carbon dioxide removal.
Opening the pilot plant is a significant step forward for our science-based company, having scaled from lab-sized R&D to an industrial-sized plant within 3 years.
It’s also a major advancement for heavy, hard to abate industries, which now have access to trial a new source of materials that come with no carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions - a game-changer in the quest to decarbonise industrial operations.
Transforming industry beyond carbon removal with clean critical minerals
Since Chris’ research began, the potential use of this low-cost rock has expanded beyond capturing CO2 emissions by mineralising it. It’s true that the magnesium hydroxide extracted from olivine mineralises carbon dioxide rapidly, as the team have proven in a recent industrial demonstration trial with PepsiCo.
However, what Chris and the Aspiring team of scientists and engineers have since developed is a process that cleanly extracts the three key minerals found in olivine: magnesium, iron and silica. Further refinement of the iron separates out a nickel-cobalt-manganese hydroxide.
It’s this process--the Aspiring process--that holds the potential for industrial transformation. Each of these minerals is used widely, every day, as key inputs for core industrial sectors. Yet traditional production processes are polluting, and mineral production is concentrated in just a handful of countries, limiting access and opportunities for innovation.
How magnesium, silica and nickel-cobalt-manganese hydroxide are used today
Magnesium.
Versatile alkaline mineral used to treat wastewater and industrial waste, including carbon dioxide emissions (via the Aspiring Materials carbon mineralisation process).
Essential mineral for plant growth, added to soils where magnesium is deficient
Valuable for alloying with other metals for lightweight applications, such as aerospace, automotive and electronics.
Nickel-cobalt-manganese hydroxide.
Valuable in-demand minerals for high performance batteries in consumer and industrial products as well as for electric vehicles.
Silica.
High volume mineral for the cement industry to replace carbon-intensive Portland Cement.
Through the Aspiring process—a carbon- and waste-free process—production and access to these critical minerals and essential materials is made possible on any continent on Earth. Nations that have previously relied on international markets will be able to produce these critical minerals on home soil, avoiding both lengthy supply chains and increased domestic CO2 emissions.
This step-change in how and where these minerals are produced and sourced will empower domestic industries to decarbonise without any change to their production processes. Plus, streamlined, localised access to these minerals will spur R&D into novel approaches to traditional industrial methods, supercharging domestic innovation.
Altogether, by changing foundational mineral production to a localised, waste-free process it can facilitate and expedite the transformation of the industrial sector to a sustainable model, aiming for better futures for underserved communities around the world.
These dreams may be big, but dreams like this push innovation forward to do better, faster.
Operation is GO! at Aspiring Materials
At Aspiring Materials’ pilot plant in Christchurch, New Zealand, the step change has begun.
The first stage of the pilot plant is now completed and we’re well underway with the expansion that completes our waste-free, circular process.
Our forthcoming expanded pilot plant has been designed to produce up to 250kg of product per day at capacity. Currently, the volume we're producing enables industrial operators to trial and assess our products as drop-in replacements to the traditionally produced products they currently use.
Our pilot plant is a first-of-a-kind mineral processing facility, using olivine—a low-cost rock—as feedstock. Designing an industrial scale-process for something novel that had previously only been achieved at lab scale was a challenge Aspiring Materials’ Mechanical Engineer Ed Williams was up for.
“It was a privilege to be working with local experts to build the plant and get a step closer to commercialising the technology. Their input and collaborative approach can’t be understated.” - Ed Williams, Aspiring Materials' Mechanical Engineer
Ed worked closely with local leading engineering firms BECA and PW Engineering to realise the engineering requirements that replicate the process Dr Megan Danczyk, Lead Chemical Process Engineer at Aspiring Materials, had perfected in the lab.
“It has been amazing to watch something we started in the lab not too long ago turn into a fully operational pilot plant. The smooth scale up has really shown how solid both the process and team are.” - Megan Danczyk, Aspiring Materials' Lead Chemical Process Engineer
Once the design was reviewed by local DETA Engineering and Australian based Greenfern, the tanks were fabricated in Hamilton by Longveld and installed by Swarm Intelligence and PW Engineering. The whole project was a reminder that as we scale, the work we do at Aspiring Materials has wider impact on local industry.
The plant, commissioned in March 2025, allows us to work with forward-thinking industrial operators on field trials that will confirm our proposition; transforming industrial processes into low-carbon ones is as simple as swapping to Aspiring Materials.
The ingredients are ready for industrial transformation
While electrification is the top solution to reduce humanity’s dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate the severity of forecasted climate change impacts, transforming core industrial sectors to low-carbon operations is arguably just as important.
These industrial sectors are the ones we rely on to maintain and grow our cities, clean our water, feed our growing populations and move us around. We can’t do without them, but they need to be transformed.
Now Aspiring Materials’ pilot plant is operational and the next phase of development underway, the future of low carbon, 21st century industrial sector, supported by localised mineral supply, is one big step closer.
If you're an industrial operator seeking a high-quality, carbon-free localised supply of magnesium, nickel-cobalt-manganese hydroxides or reactive silica, get in touch with us.
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